Press releases

Left vows to fight Welfare Bill tooth and nail

14th January 2009

The Government has today published its Welfare Reform Bill. The Bill contains measures that will see income support abolished, further privatisation of welfare services and attacks on entitlement to lone parents, disabled people and those unemployed.

John McDonnell MP, LRC Chair, said

“As unemployment soars and jobs become increasingly scarce the Government seizes upon this moment to harass people to track down jobs that don’t exist. Ministers are just not living in the real world of recession Britain.”

Cllr Susan Press, LRC vice chair, said

“The Welfare Reform Bill is a draconian and disgraceful piece of legislation which must be opposed both in Parliament and across the wider labour movement. It is utterly wrong that the private sector should profit from the sick and the unemployed. The LRC must do whatever it takes to stop these punitive proposals becoming law.”